Q3 Earnings Forecast for AutoNation Issued By Zacks Research

AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of AutoNation in a research report issued on Thursday, November 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $5.38 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $4.96. The consensus estimate for AutoNation’s current full-year earnings is $18.15 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AutoNation’s Q4 2026 earnings at $5.08 EPS and Q1 2027 earnings at $5.04 EPS.

AutoNation (NYSE:AN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $5.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.85 by $0.16. AutoNation had a return on equity of 31.84% and a net margin of 2.38%.The business had revenue of $7.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on AN. Stephens upped their price target on shares of AutoNation from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of AutoNation from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on AutoNation from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Bank of America lowered their price target on AutoNation from $255.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. Finally, Guggenheim cut their price objective on AutoNation from $230.00 to $228.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoNation presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $234.75.

AutoNation Stock Performance

Shares of AutoNation stock opened at $193.56 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $214.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $202.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.39, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.93. AutoNation has a 52 week low of $148.33 and a 52 week high of $228.92.

AutoNation declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Friday, October 31st that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 13.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoNation

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new position in shares of AutoNation in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in AutoNation in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in AutoNation by 355.3% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in AutoNation by 2,477.8% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 232 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of AutoNation by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. 94.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoNation Company Profile

AutoNation, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. It offers a range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; and parts and services, such as automotive repair and maintenance, and wholesale parts and collision services.